Document scanner and image forming apparatus

ABSTRACT

A document scanner includes a casing and a document cover disposed above the casing. The casing includes a document glass and houses an image scanner. The document cover has one end portion and the other end portion opposite to the first end portion in a first direction and is configured to pivotally move about the one end portion between a closed position in which the other end portion covers the document glass and an open position in which the other end portion uncovers the document glass. The other end portion has an end surface that intersects, when the document cover is at the closed position, with an upper surface of the document glass. The end surface has an indication indicating a location to which an external device is to be brought into proximity to establish short-range wireless communication between the document scanner and the external device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/795,659, filed Feb. 20, 2020 and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-041817filed on Mar. 7, 2019, the entireties of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a document scanner and an imageforming apparatus including the document scanner.

BACKGROUND

A known image forming apparatus is configured to perform short-rangewireless communication with an external device, such as an IC card and asmartphone, in compliance with, for example, a near field communication(“NFC”) technology. The known image forming apparatus includes adocument scanner including a document cover configured to open andclose. The document cover has an NFC communication area on an uppersurface thereof.

SUMMARY

A user may open the document cover with an external device left on theNFC communication area on the upper surface of the document cover. Thismay cause the external device to be fallen down to the floor.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a document scanner configured toexecute short-range wireless communication and having a novelconfiguration. Another aspect of the disclosure provides an imageforming apparatus including the document scanner.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a document scanner comprises acasing and a document cover. The casing includes, at an upper surfacethereof, a document glass configured to support a document. The casinghouses an image scanner configured to scan an image on the documentsupported by the document glass. The document cover is disposed abovethe casing. The document cover has one end portion and the other endportion opposite to the first end portion in a first direction. Thedocument cover is configured to pivotally move about the one end portionbetween a closed position in which the other end portion of the documentcover covers the document glass and an open position in which the otherend portion of the document cover uncovers the document glass. The otherend portion of the document cover has an end surface that intersects,when the document cover is at the closed position, with an upper surfaceof the document glass. The end surface has an indication indicating alocation to which an external device is to be brought into proximity toestablish short-range wireless communication between the documentscanner and the external device.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, an image formingapparatus comprises the document scanner and an image forming unitconfigured to form an image scanned by the document scanner on a sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus in anillustrative embodiment according to one or more aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an image forming apparatus in an illustrativeembodiment according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an image forming apparatus in an illustrativeembodiment according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of an image forming apparatus in anillustrative embodiment according to one or more aspects of thedisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus of FIG.3, taken along a line A-A, illustrating a discharged sheet stopper is ina use position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus in a firstmodification according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of an image forming apparatus in a secondmodification according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a right side view of an image forming apparatus in a thirdmodification according to one or more aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Respective directions of front, rear, left, right, top/upper, andbottom/lower are defined in conjunction with an orientation in which animage forming apparatus 1 is intended to be used, as depicted in FIG. 1.A side of the image forming apparatus 1 having a front surface 21 may bedefined as a front side, and a side opposite to the front side may bedefined as a rear side. A left side and a right side of the imageforming apparatus 1 may be defined with respect to the image formingapparatus 1 as viewed from its front side. A side of the image formingapparatus 1 on which a second casing 3 is disposed is the upper side. Aside of the image forming apparatus 1 on which a first casing 2 isdisposed is the lower side. In the illustrative embodiment, thefront-rear direction is an example of a first direction and theleft-right direction is an example of a second direction and a widthdirection perpendicular to a discharging direction of a sheet bydischarge rollers 28.

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 accordingto an illustrative embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the imageforming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a top view of the image forming apparatus1. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 5is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1, taken alonga line A-A of FIG. 3, illustrating a discharged sheet stopper 62 is in ause position. The image forming apparatus 1 employs an interior sheetdischarge system. The image forming apparatus 1 includes the firstcasing 2, the second casing 3, a support portion 4, and a control panel5.

The first casing 2 includes a cover 20 having a generally rectangularparallelepiped shape. The cover 20 defines an appearance of the firstcasing 2. The cover 20 includes the front surface 21, a rear surface 22,a left surface 23, a right surface 24, a top surface 25, and a bottomsurface 26. The cover 20 has an opening 211 at a lower portion of thefront surface 21. Through the opening 211, a sheet tray 27 is attachedor removed.

The first casing 2 houses the sheet tray 27 configured to support astack of one or more sheets, a conveying mechanism configured to conveya sheet from the sheet tray 27, an image forming unit configured to forman image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying mechanism, a sheetdischarge mechanism configured to discharge the sheet from the imageforming unit to an exterior of the first casing 2. The sheet dischargemechanism includes the discharge rollers 28 disposed at a mostdownstream portion thereof in a sheet conveying direction (e.g., thesheet discharging direction).

The sheet tray 27 is configured to move in a front-rear directionbetween a fully attached position (as depicted in FIG. 1) and aseparated position. At the fully attached position, the sheet tray 27 isfully attached to the first casing 2 through the opening 211. At theseparated position, the sheet tray 27 is at least partially separated orremoved from the first casing 2 toward the front through the opening211. The image forming unit may form an image based on, but not limitedto, an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, or other method.

A sheet discharge tray 6 is located at the top surface 25 of the firstcasing 2. The sheet discharge tray 6 is configured to receive a sheetdischarged by the sheet discharge mechanism. The sheet discharge tray 6is formed on the top surface 25 of the first casing 2 into a convexshape curving upward from the rear side toward the front side. The sheethaving an image formed thereon may be discharged by the sheet dischargemechanism in a rear-to-front direction onto the sheet discharge tray 6.

The sheet discharge tray 6 includes a protruding portion 61 disposed ata central portion thereof in the width direction, and the dischargedsheet stopper 62 disposed at the protruding portion 61. The protrudingportion 61 protrudes upward relative to other area of the sheetdischarge tray 6. The protruding portion 61 has a trapezoidal shapewhose rear portion is inclined downward. The discharged sheet stopper 62has a generally rectangular plate shape. The discharged sheet stopper 62has a rear end portion that is pivotally supported by the protrudingportion 61. The discharged sheet stopper 62 is configured to movebetween an accommodated position (as depicted in FIG. 4) and a useposition (as depicted in FIG. 5). At the accommodated position, thedischarged sheet stopper 62 is flush with the upper end portion of theprotruding portion 61. At the use position, a front end portion of thedischarged sheet stopper 62 is raised. When the discharged sheet stopper62 is in the use position, a sheet discharged onto the sheet dischargetray 6 may contact the discharged sheet stopper 62, so that the positionof the sheet on the sheet discharge tray 6 may be regulated.

In a case where the sheet discharged on the sheet discharge tray 6 hascurling ends, in the width direction, that curl upward, the protrudingportion 61 raises and supports the central portion of the sheet in thewidth direction and may reduce the curling. When a stack of one or moresheets is supported on the sheet discharge tray 6, a space is providedbelow the stack near the protruding portion 61. The space may allow auser to hold the stack. The protruding portion 61 may not necessarily beprovided but may be omitted.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a power switch 29 disposed at thetop surface 25 of the first casing 2. For easy recognition andoperation, the power switch 29 may preferably be disposed at a portionof the top surface 25 of the first casing 2 further toward the frontthan the discharged sheet stopper 62 and outside an area of the sheetdischarge tray 6 in the width direction. In the illustrative embodiment,the power switch 29 is located at a right front portion of the topsurface 25.

The second casing 3 is disposed above the first casing 2 and includes adocument scanner 31. The document scanner 31 includes a scanner casing32. The scanner casing 32 includes a document glass 321 on an uppersurface thereof. The document glass 321 is configured to support adocument. The scanner casing 32 houses an image scanner configured toscan an image on the document supported by the document glass 321. Thedocument scanner 31 further includes a document cover 33 disposed abovethe scanner casing 32. The document cover 33 is configured to pivotallymove about a pivot axis provided at one end portion, e.g., a rear endportion, of the document cover 33 between a closed position and an openposition. At the closed position, the other end portion, e.g., a frontend portion, of the document cover 33 is pivotally moved down and thedocument cover 33 covers the document glass 321. At the open position,the front end portion of the document cover 33 is pivotally moved up andthe document cover 33 uncovers the document glass 321.

The document cover 33 includes an auto document feeder (“ADF”) 34disposed at an upper portion thereof. The ADF 34 is configured toautomatically feed a document to the document glass 321. The ADF 34 hasa front end surface 34A having an opening extending therethrough in thefront-rear direction, thereby defining a grip 35. A user may hold thegrip 35 to move the document cover 33 between the closed position andthe open position. When the ADF 34 is at the closed position, the frontend surface 34A intersects with an upper surface of the document glass321 at an angle. In illustrative embodiment, the angle is, for example,a right angle. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a motor 341disposed at a rear end portion of the ADF 34. The motor 341 is a drivesource for the ADF 34.

The support portion 4 includes a left support portion 41, a rightsupport portion 42, and a rear support portion 43. The left supportportion 41, the right support portion 42, and the rear support portion43 are respectively disposed at a left end portion, a right end portion,and a rear end portion of the top surface 25 of the first casing 2,raising the second casing 3. The second casing 3 is disposed above thesheet discharge tray 6 via a discharge space 63 in which a sheet isdischarged. The left support portion 41, the right support portion 42,the top surface 25 of the first casing 2, and a lower surface of thesecond casing 3 define an open portion 44 at a front side of the imageforming apparatus 1. The discharge space 63 is open toward the front,via the open portion 44. A user can be accessible to a sheet dischargedonto the sheet discharge tray 6 via the open portion 44.

In illustrative embodiment, the right support portion 42 includes afront end surface 42A that is located further to the rear than a frontend surface 3A of the second casing 3. The configuration may allow aright portion of the discharge space 63 to open widely, allowing a userto take a stack of one or more sheets discharged on the sheet dischargetray 6 from the right side of the image forming apparatus 1.

The control panel 5 has a substantially rectangular parallelepipedshape. The control panel 5 has a dimension in the left-right directionshorter than the dimension of the second casing 3 in the left-rightdirection. In the illustrative embodiment, the control panel 5 has adimension in the left-right direction equal to or less than a half ofthe dimension of the second casing 3 in the left-right direction. Thecontrol panel 5 extends frontward from the front end surface 3A of thesecond casing 3 such that a left end portion of the control panel 5 isflush with a left end portion of the second casing 3. The location ofthe control panel 5 is not limited to a particular location as long asthe control panel 5 is disposed downstream of the discharge rollers 28in the discharging direction. The control panel 5 is configured toenable operations of the image forming apparatus 1, e.g., the documentscanner 31. The control panel 5 includes an upper surface 51 on which adisplay, such as an LCD panel, and an input device, such as atouchscreen and keys/buttons, configured to operate the image formingunit and the image scanner, are disposed.

[NFC]

As depicted in FIG. 2, the ADF 34 has an NFC indication 71 provided,e.g., printed, on the front end surface 34A. The NFC indication 71indicates a location to which an external device (e.g., an IC card and asmartphone) having an NFC function is to be brought into proximity toestablish a wireless communication between the image forming apparatus 1and the external device. The size and the shape of the NFC indication 71are not limited to a particular size and shape. The NFC indication 71may be provided in a manner other than printing. For example, the NFCindication 71 may include translucent member. The translucent member mayilluminate the NFC indication 71 with a light source (e.g., alight-emitting diode) disposed under the translucent member. Using theNFC indication 71 as a guide, a user may bring the external device intoproximity to the NFC indication 71, thereby establishing a wirelesscommunication between the external device and the image formingapparatus 1.

Since the NFC indication 71 is provided at the front end surface 34A ofthe ADF 34, a user needs to bring the external device into proximity tothe NFC indication 71 while securely holding the external device byhand. This may prevent a user from opening the document cover 33 with anexternal device on the document scanner 31. The front end surface 34A,which is created or defined by the thickness of the ADF 34, may beeffectively used for the NFC indication 71. Since the NFC indication 71is disposed at an upper portion of the document scanner 31 closer to auser, the user may readily identify the NFC indication 71. The documentscanner 31 having a novel configuration and the image forming apparatus1 including the document scanner 31 may thus be provided.

The NFC indication 71 and the control panel 5 may be preferably locatedon a same side (e.g., a left side) of the image forming apparatus in thewidth direction. In other words, the NFC indication 71 and the controlpanel 5 may be located closer to one end (e.g., a left end) of the imageforming apparatus 1 in the width direction than the other end (e.g., aright end) of the image forming apparatus 1 opposite to the one end inthe width direction. To achieve such configuration, the ADF 34 on whichthe NFC indication 71 is provided needs to be disposed on the same sideas the control panel 5 in the width direction. In other words, the ADF34 needs to be located closer to the one end of the image formingapparatus 1 in the width direction than the other end of the imageforming apparatus 1 in the width direction. In the illustrativeembodiment, the ADF 34 and the control panel 5 is located on the leftside of the image forming apparatus 1. The NFC indication 71 is alsolocated on the left side of the image forming apparatus 1 and isprovided at a position overlapping with the control panel 5 in theleft-right direction.

The NFC indication 71 and the control panel 5 are both located closer tothe one end (e.g., the left end) of the image forming apparatus 1 in thewidth direction than the other end (e.g., the right end) of the imageforming apparatus 1 in the width direction. This configuration may allowa user to readily identify both the NFC indication 71 and the controlpanel 5 by looking in one direction.

An NFC board 70 is located, facing the NFC indication 71, inside the ADF34, to establish a favorable wireless communication between the imageforming apparatus 1 and the external device. In the illustrativeembodiment, the NFC board 70 is disposed behind the NFC indication 71along an inner surface (e.g., a rear surface) of the front end surface34A of the ADF 34. The NFC board 70 is a circuit board having agenerally rectangular shape. The NFC board 70 includes a loop antenna 72and circuits, such as a communication circuit and a detection circuit.

The loop antenna 72 is disposed on a front surface of the NFC board 70such that the loop antenna 72 is located behind the NFC indication 71.The loop antenna 72 is configured to transmit to or receive from anexternal device, radio waves for NFC communication. The communicationcircuit is configured to process the radio waves transmitted to orreceived from the external device into signals. The detection circuit isconfigured to detect a current that flows in the loop antenna 72,thereby detecting intensities of the radio waves transmitted or receivedby the loop antenna 72.

In the illustrative embodiment, the NFC indication 71 and the NFC board70 are disposed at a front end portion of the ADF 34 and the motor 341is disposed at a rear end portion of the ADF 34. The motor 341 isdisposed opposite to the NFC indication 71 and the NFC board 70 in thefront-rear direction. This configuration may prevent or reducedegradation of communication performance between the image formingapparatus 1 and an external device, due to noises of the motor 341.

[USB]

As depicted in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a USB port81 to which a terminal of a USB device, such as a USB memory and adigital camera, is connectable. The USB port 81 is located at a sidesurface of the control panel 5 closer to the center of the image formingapparatus 1 in the width direction. In the illustrative embodiment, theUSB port 81 is located at a right surface 52 of the control panel 5. TheUSB port 81 may be located at any portion of the right surface 52 of thecontrol panel 5. The control panel 5 has a USB indication 82 provided,e.g., printed, at a portion of the right surface 52 near the USB port81. The USB indication 82 or the USB port 81 may help a user torecognize the location of the USB port 81.

Since the USB port 81 is located at a side surface of the control panel5 closer to the center of the image forming apparatus 1 in the widthdirection, a USB device inserted into the USB port 81 may not stick outrelative to a surface (e.g., a right surface) of the first casing 2 whenviewed from the top. This configuration may reduce risks of damaging theUSB device as a user hits the USB device. In addition, thisconfiguration may ensure a space for attaching and removing the USBdevice. Since the USB port 81 is disposed above the sheet discharge tray6, a user may visually identify the USB port 81 readily. Further, a usermay readily identify both the control panel 5 and the USB port 81 bylooking in one direction.

The USB port 81 at a side surface of the control panel 5 may enhancevisibility of the USB port 81 and operability of the control panel 5 atthe same time. In addition, a USB device inserted into the USB port 81may not cover the NFC indication 71, which may ensure visibility of theNFC indication 71 even when the USB device is inserted into the USB port81.

A USB board 80 is located inside the control panel 5. The USB board 80is a circuit board having a generally rectangular shape. The USB board80 includes the USB port 81 and circuits. The USB port 81 is disposed onan upper surface of the USB board 80 and protrudes rightward.

First Modification

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 9 accordingto a first modification. The image forming apparatus 9 according to thefirst modification is different from the image forming apparatus 1 withrespect to a document scanner 91, which does not include an ADF, andpositions of an NFC indication 92 and an NFC board 93. Except for thedocument scanner 91 and the positions of the NFC indication 92 and theNFC board 93, the image forming apparatus 9 has the same or similarconfiguration as the image forming apparatus 1. Like numerals in thedrawings denote like components and the detailed description of thosecomponents described above is omitted, with respect to FIGS. 6-8.

The document scanner 91 includes a document cover 94 having a plateshape, which may be obtained by removing the ADF 34 from the documentcover 33. The document cover 94 has a front end surface 94A. When thedocument cover 94 is at the closed position, the front end surface 94Aintersects with the upper surface of the document glass 321 at an angle.In the first modification, the angle is, for example, a right angle.

The NFC indication 92 is located at a position that satisfies the samecondition as the position of the NFC indication 71. In FIG. 6, the NFCindication 92 is provided at a portion of the front end surface 94A ofthe document cover 94 above the control panel 5. The NFC board 93 issimilar to the NFC board 70 and has a thickness corresponding thethickness of the document cover 94. The NFC board 93 is located insidethe document cover 94, facing the NFC indication 92.

In such configuration in which the document scanner 91 does not includean ADF and the NFC indication 91 is provided at the front end surface94A of the document cover 94, effects similar to those of the imageforming apparatus 1 may be obtained.

Second Modification

FIG. 7 is a right side view of an image forming apparatus 10 accordingto a second modification. The image forming apparatus 10 according tothe second modification is different from the image forming apparatus 1with respect to a pivotable control panel 101. Except for the pivotablecontrol panel 101, the image forming apparatus 10 has the same orsimilar configuration as the image forming apparatus 1.

The control panel 101 includes a pivot shaft 102 disposed at a rear endportion of the control panel 101. The pivot shaft 102 extends in theleft-right direction. The pivot shaft 102 is pivotally supported by arecess portion provided in the second casing 3. This configuration mayallow the control panel 101 to pivotally move about the pivot shaft 102between an inclined position (as depicted by a solid line in FIG. 7) anda horizontal position (as depicted by a phantom line in FIG. 7). At theinclined position, a front portion of an upper surface 103 of thecontrol panel 101 is lower than a rear portion of the upper surface 103.At the horizontal position, the upper surface 103 is horizontal. Inother words, an angle of the control panel 101 relative to the NFCindication 71 is changeable.

Configuration of the second modification may allow a user to adjust anangle of the control panel 101 as desired, and to see the NFC indication71 and the control panel 101 both at a glance. If the control panel 101and the NFC indication 71 are close to each other, the control panel 101may be moved to, for example, the inclined position, thereby preventingor reducing interference between the control panel 101 and an externaldevice brought into proximity to the NFC indication 71. This may lead toincreased operability.

Third Modification

FIG. 8 is a right side view of an image forming apparatus 11 accordingto a third modification. The image forming apparatus 11 according to thethird modification is different from the image forming apparatus 1 withrespect to a pivotable control panel 111. Except for the pivotablecontrol panel 111, the image forming apparatus 11 has the same orsimilar configuration as the image forming apparatus 1.

The control panel 111 includes a pivot shaft 112 disposed at a front endportion of a bottom surface of the control panel 111. The pivot shaft112 extends in the left-right direction. The pivot shaft 112 ispivotally supported by a recess portion provided in the left supportportion 41. This configuration may allow the control panel 111 topivotally move about the pivot shaft 112 between a horizontal position(as depicted by a solid line in FIG. 8) and an inclined position (asdepicted by a phantom line in FIG. 8). At the horizontal position, anupper surface 113 of the control panel 111 is horizontal. At theinclined position, a front portion of the upper surface 113 is lowerthan a rear portion of the upper surface 113. In other words, an angleof the control panel 111 relative to the NFC indication 71 ischangeable.

Configuration of the third modification may allow a user to adjust theposition of the control panel 111, as desired, for example, to thehorizontal position, and to see the NFC indication 71 and the controlpanel 111 both at a glance. If the control panel 111 and the NFCindication 71 are close to each other, the control panel 111 may bemoved to, for example, the inclined position, thereby preventing orreducing interference between the control panel 111 and an externaldevice brought into proximity to the NFC indication 71. This may lead toincreased operability.

What is claimed is:
 1. A document scanner, comprising: a casingincluding, at an upper surface thereof, a document glass configured tosupport a document, the casing housing an image scanner configured toscan an image on the document supported by the document glass; adocument cover disposed above the casing, the document cover having oneend portion and the other end portion opposite to the first end portionin a first direction and configured to pivotally move about the one endportion between a closed position in which the other end portion of thedocument cover covers the document glass and an open position in whichthe other end portion of the document cover uncovers the document glass,the other end portion of the document cover having an end surface thatintersects, when the document cover is at the closed position, with anupper surface of the document glass, the end surface having anindication indicating a location to which an external device is to bebrought into proximity to establish short-range wireless communicationbetween the document scanner and the external device; a control panelconfigured to enable an operation of the document scanner, the controlpanel being disposed closer to one end of the document glass in a seconddirection perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to thedocument glass than the other end of the document glass opposite to theend in the second direction; and a USB port disposed on a side surfaceof the control panel closer to a center of the casing in the seconddirection, wherein the indication of the document cover is disposed at aposition higher than the control panel and at a position overlappingwith the control panel in the second direction, and wherein theindication of the document cover faces in the first direction, and theUSB port of the control panel faces in the second direction.